Cigar and cigarette snuffer for ash trays



June 5, 1956 B. E. OLSON 2,743,778

CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SNUFFER FOR ASH TRAYS Filed Sept. 10, 1953I'NVENTOR. 5647/4070? 5 0/60/7 CIGAR AND CIGARETTE SNUFFER FOR ASH TRAYSBenjamin E. Olson, Independence, Mo. Application September 10, 1953,Serial Nor3,79,37Q

1 Claim. (Cl. 131-235) This invention has. todo, with safety devicesparticularly usable with automobiles but universally adapted for amultitude of applications and relating specifically to a snufferfor.cigarettes and cigars.

It is, the primary object of the present invention to provide a snuffercapable of receiving rolls; of smoking tobacco of virtually any size inso. far as diameter.- is. conearned and. operable to. quickly and.efiiciently extinguish the fire at one end. of the roll almostimmediately after the same. isinserted into, the. snufler.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cigar andcigarette receiving snutfer in the nature of a tubular body of generallyfrusto-conical configuration whereby theroll of tobacco maybe wedgedthereinto so as to cause the fire thereof to be extinguished by virtueof absence of sufficient air to support combustion and because of theheat conductivity of the material from which the snuffer is made.

Other objects include the way in which the entire body is imperforateexcept for the receiving opening at the uppermost end thereof and therelatively small opening at its bottom so that the heat conductiblematerial from which the body is made, will assist in extinguishing; theway in which the body is automatically kept clear of ashes because ofthe discharge opening at the bottom of the body; the manner of adaptingthe snulfer for attachment to ash trays so that the latter collect theashes emanating from the body; the way in which an outwardly flared lipis provided at the uppermost end of the body to facilitate insertion ofthe tobacco roll thereinto; the way in which the body is made of a pairof frusto-conical portions; and the manner of providing a laterallyextending perforated bracket at the rim of the body connected thereto byreinforcing ribs, thereby adapting the snutfer for use with an ash tray.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a cigar and cigarette snuifer showingthe same operably mounted on an automobile ash tray, and embodying oneform of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of said ash tray broken away to showthe snuffer of Fig. 1, the latter being in section.

Fig. 3 is a partial bottom view looking in the direction of the arrowsof line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the said ash tray showing thesnuffer of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, mounted by means of a bracket.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of said bracket; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a different type of ash trayillustrating the modified form of snuffer made pursuant to the presentinvention.

In Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is shown a hollow, tubular body broadlydesignated by the numeral 10, having the upper and lowermost endsthereof open and being otherwise imperforate.

Body 10 includes an uppermost, substantially frusto- United StatesPatentO 2,748,778 Patented June 5, 1956 conical portion 12 and alowermost, substantially frustoconical portion 14 integral with the bodyportion 12. Body 10 has an innermost surface that is transverselycircular and the diameter of the body 10 progressively decreases as thelowermost open end thereof is approached.

Body 10 is cast, molded or otherwise formed from a, suitableheat-conducting material, and the uppermost open end thereof is definedby an outturned or outwardly flared, continuous circular lip 16. Thebody 10 has a laterally extending plate 18 which is integral with thelip 16 whereby to adapt the snuifer for mounting on an ash tray such asthat shown in the drawing and broadly designated by the numeral 29. Theplate 18 is further connected with the body portion 12, by means of apair of radial webs 22 below theplate 18 and integral there: with, aswell as with the body portion 12.

Plate 18 is perforated for receiving a bolt 24 having a nut 26 thereon.

Ash trays for automobiles are usually provided with a resilient lockingfinger 28 which may be depressed inwardly to permit removal of the tray20 entirely from its socket. Plate 18 is, therefore, adapted to overliethe finger 28 and the bolt 24 which extends through the finger 28,rigidly mounts the snuifer on the ash tray 20. It is seen in Figs. 1 and2 of the drawing that the lowermost end of the snuffer overlies thebottom of the tray iiiv and therefore, the latter collects all ashesemanating from the snufier andv passing through thelowermost open endthereof. By virtue of such open end, the snuffer may remain clear ofashes.

The double frustoconical configuration of the body 10 is of importancebecause the snuifer thereby accommodates rolls of smoking tobacco ofvarious diameters including cigarettes and virtually all cigars. Inplacing the snuffer in use, the roll of tobacco to be extinguished isinserted through the uppermost open end of the body 10 until it comesinto wedging relationship with the inner surfaces thereof.

The opening at the lowermost end of the body 10 is suificiently small toprevent passage of the cigars or cigarettes therethrough and suchrestriction permits the wedging action aforementioned, as well as limitsthe amount of air available to the hot ashes to support combustion. Thisfactor, together with the high heat conductivity of the material fromwhich the body 10 is made, causes rapid extinguishing of the fire whilethe roll of tobacco is self-supported by the wedging action alfordedthrough the particular configuration herein found to be of highimportance. It is impossible for hot ashes to be displaced from the body10 even under conditions of wind currents of high velocity, and even ifashes do fall from the body It) before being completely extinguished,the same are immediately collected by the ash tray 20.

It can now be appreciated that the use of the snuffer hereof is notlimited to ash trays for automobiles and the perforated plate 18,together with suitable fastening means such as bolt 24 and nut 26, maybe used to mount the snuifer on other types of ash trays with thelowermost open end of the snuffer so aligned that all ashes emanatingfrom the snuifer will be collected by the underlying tray.

To this end, in lieu of fastening plate 18 directly to the finger 28, itmay be mounted on the side of the ash tray 20 or upon other types of ashcollecting receptacles through the medium of a bracket 32 such as shownin Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing. Bracket 32 is bifurcated presenting apair of spaced furcations 34, one of which in turn receives a set screw36 permitting clamping of the bracket 32 to the ash tray 20. An opening38 in the bracket 32 accommodates the bolt 24' as shown in Fig.

3 4 and the plate 18 may thereby be joined directly with the bracket 32.

In lieu of fastening the snuffer to the ash tray, it may be merelysupported thereby as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. A body broadlydesignated by the numeral 110, is identical with body 10 in that it hasa pair of sections 112 and 114 and a rim or outwardly flared portion116. Plate 18 however, is eliminated in favor of a plurality of equallyspaced, radial feet 118. The feet 118 integral with the body 110exteriorly thereof, extend downwardly and outwardly from the bodyportion 152, whereby the same may be adapted to rest upon the bottomwall of an open top ash tray 120 Where ashes emanating from thelowermost open end of the body 110 will be collected.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

A snutfer adapted to extinguish rolls of smoking tobacco of variousdiameters, said snuffer comprising an elongated tubular body having anoutwardly flared, continuous circular lip arcuate in longitudinal crosssection presenting an open uppermost end for receiving the roll oftobacco to be extinguished, and an open lowermost end adapted to passashes therethrough, the innermost surface of said body beingtransversely circular and the inside diameter of the body progressivelydecreasing from said uppermost end toward said lowermost end, wherebythe open lowermost end is restricted to reduce to a minimum the amountof air available for combustion to thereby induce rapid extinguishment,and whereby the body supports the roll against passage therethrough,said body being otherwise imperforate to confine the ashes while hot andlater to gravitate through the said open lowermost end, and being ofnon-ignitable, heat conductible material to further assure rapidextinguishing, said body including an uppermost frusto-conical portionfor receiving large rolls wedged thereinto and a lowermostfrusto-conical portion integral with the uppermost portion for receivingsmaller rolls wedged thereinto, the lowermost end of said tube being ofsmaller diameter than the lowermost end of said first conical portion; aperforated laterally extending integral fiange on said lip having aperforated mounting plate extending horizontally therefrom in onedirection; a plurality of reinforcing webs underlying the plate andjoining the same integrally with the outermost face of said uppermostportion of the body; and means cooperable with the perforated portion ofthe plate for securing the plate to an open top ash tray with thelowermost end of the body overlying the bottom of the ash tray wherebythe latter adapted to collect said ashes emanating from the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.156,464 Robbins Dec. 13, 1949 1,532,363 Berger Apr. 7, 1925 1,772,176Benjamin Aug. 5, 1930 1,912,682 Belt June 6, 1933 2,097,480 Visser Nov.2, 1937 2,294,174 Gillisse et al. Aug. 25, 1942 2,325,721 Visser Aug. 3,1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 363,804 France May 14, 1906 420,554 Great BritainDec. 4, 1934

